How to Read an IEP: Maine
Understanding Present Levels of Performance and Measurable Annual Goals
Maine IEP Guide: Present Levels of Academic Achievement & Functional Performance
What is the present levels section of an IEP?
This is one of the meatiest sections of the IEP! This is where the IEP team lists the students academic and functional levels of performance. This is where you start to get a sense of where the student is at– and this section sets up the goals. Like if a student has difficulty decoding, you would see it here– and then should see a goal about it later in the IEP.
Because IEPs are written on all areas of student need, present levels sections include information on the student’s physical, socioemotional, development, and communication baseline as well as on their academics. There is a lot of variation in how districts label the various parts of this section but in every single one you should learn about a student’s skills in reading, writing, mathematics, and their overall development. In most districts that means communication, motor skills, and socioemotional skills– but some districts jumble those together and so omit any areas where the student does not have a need. In California, that would have gotten you in trouble on a state audit but in New Hampshire it is pretty standard not to see anything about motor skills in an IEP– so there is some variation state by state.
Arizona, which combines this section with the student strengths, has a nice clean lay out for this section. Click read more to see how Arizona divided up this section in the sub-sections I talked about of communication, academics, and so on.
Now, take a look at this section of the IEP from the Fresno district in California. They too have a section for communication and motor skills, but academic and functional skills are one sub-section that also includes socioemotional stuff.
The IEP from Oregon has only two sub-boxes– one for academic performance and one for developmental and functional development. In NH (not shown), there are three boxes– one for academic performance, one for functional, and one for developmental– and no one really has a clue how to figure out what goes in the functional versus developmental boxes!
You can see that the amount of content in the boxes varies a lot as does their labels but somehow, every single IEP from every single district is trying to provide a holistic picture of the student’s skills.
The filled out examples on the left are helpful to look at to get a sense of how long this section can be– because when I say this is the meatiest section of the IEP, I mean it is the longest!
Where are the present levels in the IEP?
Typically, this is right after the student strengths section on the second or third page of the IEP. There are a few rebel districts that shift a lot of this information to the student goals section or hide it later in the IEP, but generally this is near the beginning of the IEP.
How do present levels sections of an IEP vary across states and districts?
Every single IEP has present levels of some form. They have to. Some include strengths in it, some don’t. Some divide them up by communication, academic, and so on. Some don’t. Some even put the present levels in the goals. But every district has them– and they should all cover similar content. The labels that districts use and the number of boxes does matter though– the boxes guide what folks write so you will see different emphases district to district with maybe a child’s motor present levels being addressed in one and glossed over in another based on whether there is a box that asks about motor skills specifically.
What does the IDEA law say about present levels?
The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act states that the IEP has to have a “statement of present levels of academic achievement and functional performance,” aka a PLAAFP. That means a statement of where the student is academically (aka reading, writing, and math) and functionally (communication, socioemotional, motor, etc).
What IDEA says in 34 C.F.R. § 300.320(a)(1)
(1) A statement of the child’s present levels of academic achievement and functional performance, including—
(i) How the child’s disability affects the child’s involvement and progress in the general education curriculum (i.e., the same curriculum as for nondisabled children); or
(ii) For preschool children, as appropriate, how the disability affects the child’s participation in appropriate activities;
Not going to lie. I had to read this IEP a few times to understand what they were doing with their PLOP. Basically, Maine has divided their IEP into academic needs and all other needs. So there is a present levels, statement of need, and goals for academics and then a present levels, statement of need, and goals for everything else, like behavior or speech. It’s pretty unique so that took a few reads to figure out. This is stitched together because I am trying to only have the PLOPs here– but in Maine there are also goals for each of these.
This IEP comes from Lives in the Balance. See the full IEP here.
Because the images are hard to read, a transcript is below.
6. FOR K–12 ONLY
DO NOT PRINT FOR CHILDREN AGE 3–5
MEASURABLE ANNUAL GOAL(S) (MUSER IX.3.A.(1)(b)&(c))
A. Academic Performance – Academic performance refers to a child’s ability to perform age appropriate (comparable to same age/grade peers) tasks and demonstrate appropriate skills in reading, writing, listening, speaking, and mathematical problem solving in the school environment.
Strengths:
Student X has strengths in mathematics, specifically with solving problems. He is a student who “sees” numbers and doesn’t often need to figure it out on paper.
Needs:
Decoding
Difficulty with decoding and has poor word recognition
Difficulty with applying grade-level phonics and word analysis skills to decode unfamiliar words
Fluency
Difficulty with fluent reading, automatic word recognition and lacks skills to sound out unfamiliar words
Comprehension
Difficulty with reading comprehension, cannot perform reading tasks at grade level
Difficulty with monitoring his reading for meaning
Writing
Difficulty with written expression, writing paragraphs, organization and logical sequence
Present Levels of Academic Performance (MUSER IX.3.A.(1)(a)(i)&(ii)):
Student X is a 5th grade student who is decoding at a 3rd grade level. He is reading fluently at a 3rd grade level and comprehension is also two years below grade level.
Student X does not have the skills to decode unfamiliar words; he is a dysfluent reader who often makes frequent mistakes, he has poor word recognition, will often skip words, and substitutes similar-appearing words.
Student X is not a fluent reader. He is able to read 96 words per minute when given a 3rd grade reading passage and is currently working on increasing his ability to read sentences/paragraphs fluently. Student X is currently able to read 96 words a minute with 6 errors when given a 3rd grade passage.
Child’s Name: Student X Date: 5/9/17
Student X’s comprehension is affected due to his inability to explain the meaning of the story and draw inferences. When in class, if he is called on to answer questions he does not do so willingly. Informal testing identified that he is able to answer on average 50% of the comprehension questions. He has been working hard to identify the who, what, when, where, why and how of each passage that he is reading. He has increased his ability to identify the main idea from a single sentence level to 2 sentences.
Student X is a 5th grade student performing at a 3rd grade level in writing.
With the use of graphic organizers student X is able to respond to most parts of the prompt and organize his information in a clear manner. He is able to use linking words and phrases at a 3rd grade level when connecting opinion and reasons. His development of the topic is limited and he is not able to expand on his ideas beyond the 3rd grade writing rubric. Some of his sentence structures are grammatically awkward, but when guided he writes in complete sentences.
B. Functional/Developmental Performance –
Functional/developmental performance refers to how the child is managing daily activities in cognitive, communicative, motor, adaptive, social/emotional and sensory areas.
Strengths:
Student X is an extremely inquisitive young man. He likes to explore, especially when he can explore outside searching for frogs and other small creatures! Student X has lots of knowledge to share and will provide information when he is in a relaxed setting and feels he trusts those around him.
Needs:
Difficulty attending to or accurately interpreting social/cues poor perception of social nuances
Difficulty starting conversations, entering and participating in groups, connecting with people, and practicing basic social skills
Difficulty expressing concerns, needs, or thoughts in words.
Present Levels of Functional/Developmental Performance (MUSER IX.3.A.(1)(a)(i)&(ii)):
Functional Behavior
Child’s Name: Student X Date: 5/9/17
Student X has difficulty meeting the expectations of the classroom 80% of the day.
During language arts Student X has difficulty closing his computer when prompted. He doesn’t respond to questions when he is called on in front of the group. Daily, Student X has difficulty returning to class after lunch. While waiting for the bus, X has difficulty with personal space and boundaries. X has difficulty independently completing his math and language arts homework assignments daily.
Student X exhibits challenging behaviors in the regular education setting 75% of the day
Once frustrated X’s behaviors quickly escalate and he either runs out of the classroom or, on occasion, must be removed. His outbursts may be affecting his peer relations, as his classmates have expressed a reluctance to interact with him. He has been increasingly reluctant to participate in working with the resource room teacher.
Speech/Language:
Student X presents with weaknesses in expressive language skills, which impact his ability to participate in classroom discussions and work collaboratively with peers. His difficulty sequencing his thoughts impacts his ability to express his knowledge effectively when compared with same-aged peers.
What do I look for in the IEP to know if it is good?
The present levels section should tell you what a student can do right now. That includes in reading. What level of text can they read? How is their decoding, fluency, comprehension? For areas where the student is working at grade level this might be as short as, “Juan is decoding and understanding tests at grade level according to classroom assessments.” Similarly, you should get useful information about the students’ knowledge of and skills in mathematics and writing. This should not just be test scores. It should be information that makes sense to a parent or a general education teacher. Jargon is a red flag. Often jargon and numbers means the case manager didn’t actually do assessments for the annual IEP– the numbers are often years out of date and a way to hide that no new assessments were done.
This section should also include more than academics. For example, there needs to be something in here about the student’s socioemotional well being and behaviors. If there are no concerns, awesome– it should say that. But in today’s world, how many kids with IEPs or kids in general are really totally fine? Not shy, not anxious, not disorganized at all? This section needs to include that information too– you want a complete picture of the student. If you don’t see that, then that’s a red flag.
Present levels also should include communication and motor skills information. If a student has concerns in these areas, those sections should be filled in by a SLP or OT or PT or APE teacher. If there are statements about concerns on any of those areas, that student should have services in those areas. If they don’t, that’s a red flag. If a student is in 5th grade and wiping out going down the stairs on the regular and that isn’t in the IEP, you want to know if a PT has screened the student. This is an area where you know you student/child– are all concerns reflected here and linked to services and goals? Or at least acknowledged with a note that there was a screening done?
Broadly, you need to see that all information in the present levels is current, intelligible to humans (not just numbers and jargon), reflective of the teams’ concerns, and linked to both goals and services. If there are a lot of concerns, you expect to see a lot of goals and services. If there aren’t a ton, then you expect to see that student on their own a lot in general education being successful.
When and how should I get help?
It depends on who you are. If you are a parent, you have the right to show the IEP to anyone you want to get their thoughts on it– and the right to bring someone who has “knowledge or special expertise regarding the child” to the IEP meeting. To learn more about parents’ rights in IEP, visit our page on the rights hidden inside district procedural safeguards.
If you are a teacher at the school and are worried about the quality of the IEP goals, feel out the case manager. If you hit resistance, try meeting with a service provider at the school an administrator, or a special education teacher that you are more comfortable with– but try the case manager first to get a sense of what is going on.
Here is what IDEA says in 34 C.F.R. § 300.321(a)(6) about bringing people to meetings:
‘‘(vi) at the discretion of the parent or the agency,
other individuals who have knowledge or special expertise regarding the child, including related services personnel as appropriate; and
other individuals who have knowledge or special expertise regarding the child, including related services personnel as appropriate; and
What are the disclaimers?
This website is not a lawyer or an educational advocate. Nothing on this site is, nor is intended to be, legal advice. The information here is for informational purposes only.
If you are worried about your student or child’s IEP, please reach out to a real, live human.
Many law schools have free educational law clinics for special education. Many larger districts employ ombudsmen to bridge the gap between parents and schools. Many regions and states have parent centers that can help parents connect to other parents and find resources in their community. All of those are free, as is talking through the paperwork with a friend. Educational advocates are often paid professionals with special expertise who can also help. While we are happy to address general questions about the IDEA law or IEP process, please note that any communication via email is for informational purposes only and cannot be treated as legal advice. You can email questions to rose@spedhelper.org.
Maine IEP Guide: Measurable Annual Goals
What are the annual goals in an IEP?
This is one of the most, if not the most, important part of the IEP. This is where the IEP team lays out what the student will be working on with special education support over the next year. Generally, the goals written by the special education teacher fall into the reading, writing, math, and socioemotional buckets. So you might see a goal for reading comprehension, one for multivariable equations, and one for work completion or managing frustration. Related service providers, like speech and language pathologists or counselors, will also write their own goals so there might also be goals from them on communication, self-regulation, or other skills. Generally, looking at a student’s goals gives you the best sense of where the student is and the biggest thing the team thinks they need to work on.
Each goal will have two key parts– the goal itself, which should be measurable and easy to understand– and a baseline which says where a student is now. You might also see benchmarks, also known as objectives. These are ways to break down the goal for monitoring at report card intervals. Fun fact, if you didn’t know– special education teachers are responsible for reporting on each student’s progress towards each goal at report card intervals. So when you do report card (or they do, depending on the school), they are also writing narratives on every single goal. That’s one of the main reasons that special education teachers work to keep goals to a minimum– don’t assume that all of a student’s needs are covered by their goals. Instead, assume that the goals are the biggest needs and the special education teacher was refusing to do bonus paperwork for the lesser needs. In line with this, a lot of goals will also tell you how the parent will be notified of progress. Regardless of language, assume that when the report card goes home, parents are supposed to also get a goals’ progress narrative.
Where are the annual goals found in an IEP?
Goals are always after the present levels. In some districts, they are the last things in the IEPs. In others, they are in the middle, but they are always after the present levels.
How do goals vary across states and districts?
Every single district will have measurable annual goals and baselines. Some districts split up the baselines, like listing an academic and functional baseline. Some don’t. Some list the quarterly benchmarks in the IEP. Some don’t. Some districts use goal writing tools that write weird, generic goals. Some don’t. But because IEP goals are the heart of an IEP, every single district will have them– and will have the goal and the baseline in separate boxes.
What does the IDEA law say about goals?
The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, the federal law behind special education, says that IEP goals have to be measurable, help the student move towards meeting grade level standards, meet the student’s other educational needs, and have benchmarks to ensure progress monitoring. The exact wording is below.
(i) A statement of measurable annual goals, including academic and functional goals designed to—
(A) Meet the child’s needs that result from the child’s disability to enable the child to be involved in and make progress in the general education curriculum; and
(B) Meet each of the child’s other educational needs that result from the child’s disability;
(ii) For children with disabilities who take alternate assessments aligned to alternate academic achievement standards, a description of benchmarks or short-term objectives;
(3) A description of—
(i) How the child’s progress toward meeting the annual goals described in paragraph (2) of this section will be measured; and
(ii) When periodic reports on the progress the child is making toward meeting the annual goals (such as through the use of quarterly or other periodic reports, concurrent with the issuance of report cards) will be provided;
Because the images can be hard to read, a transcript is below.
MEASURABLE ANNUAL GOAL(S) (MUSER IX.3.A.(1)(b)&(c))
A. Academic Performance – Academic performance refers to a child’s ability to perform age appropriate (comparable to same age/grade peers) tasks and demonstrate appropriate skills in reading, writing, listening, speaking, and mathematical problem solving in the school environment.
Strengths:
Student X has strengths in mathematics, specifically when solving problems. He is a student who “sees” numbers and doesn’t often need to figure it out on paper.
Needs:
Decoding
Difficulty with decoding and has poor word recognition
Difficulty with applying grade-level phonics and word analysis skills to decode unfamiliar words
Fluency
Difficulty with fluent reading, automatic word recognition and lacks skills to sound out unfamiliar words
Comprehension
Difficulty with reading comprehension, cannot perform reading tasks at grade level
Difficulty with monitoring his reading for meaning
Writing
Difficulty with written expression, writing paragraphs, organization and logical sequence
Present Levels of Academic Performance (MUSER IX.3.A.(1)(a)(i)&(ii)):
Student X is a 5th grade student who is decoding at a 3rd grade level. He is reading fluently at a 3rd grade level and comprehension is also two years below grade level.
Student X does not have the skills to decode unfamiliar words; he is a dysfluent reader who often makes frequent mistakes, he has poor word recognition, will often skip words, and substitutes similar-appearing words.
Student X is not a fluent reader. He is able to read 96 words per minute when given a 3rd grade reading passage and is currently working on increasing his ability to read sentences/paragraph’s fluently. Student X is currently able to read 96 words a minute with 6 errors when given a 3rd grade passage.
Child’s Name: Student X Date: 5/9/17
Student X’s comprehension is affected due to his inability to explain the meaning of the story and draw inferences. When in class, if he is called on to answer questions he does not do so willingly. Informal testing identified that he is able to answer on average 50% of the comprehension questions. He has been working hard to identify the who, what, when, where, why and how of each passage that he is reading. He has increased his ability to identify the main idea from a single sentence level to 2 sentences.
Student X is a 5th grade student performing at a 3rd grade level in writing.
With the use of graphic organizers student X is able to respond to most parts of the prompt and organize his information in a clear manner. He is able to use linking words and phrases at a 3rd grade level when connecting opinion and reasons. His development of the topic is limited and he is not able to expand on his ideas beyond the 3rd grade writing rubric. Some of his sentence structures are grammatically awkward, but when guided he writes in complete sentences.
How the child’s disability affects the child’s involvement and progress in the general education curriculum.
Student X’s processing difficulties, weak memory, and deficits in reading development skills specifically in decoding, fluency and comprehension are making it difficult for him to participate in tasks and activities that are on grade level.
Measurable Goal (MUSER IX.3.A.(1)(b)&(c))
By 5/10/2018, given specially designed instruction and multiple opportunities to practice, student X will know and be able to apply 4th grade-level phonics and word analysis skills in decoding unfamiliar multi-syllable words, with at least 80% accuracy, as measured by informal assessments, teacher observation records, and progress monitoring data. (CCSS: RL 4.4)
Progress:
(blank)
Objective(s) required? ☐ Yes ☒ No
By date, given service, child’s name will skill as measured by evidence.
Measurable Goal (MUSER IX.3.A.(1)(b)&(c))
By 5/10/2017, given specially designed instruction in guided reading and fluency, X will read with sufficient accuracy, rate and expression to support comprehension and use context (syntax, visual and meaning) to confirm or self-correct word recognition and understanding, rereading as necessary with 95% accuracy as measured by formal and informal readings assessments such as teacher observation records, and progress monitoring. (CCSS: ELA Literacy RF 4.4)
Progress:
(blank)
Objective(s) required? ☐ Yes ☒ No
By date, given service, child’s name will skill as measured by evidence.
By 5/10/2017, given small group instruction and instructional level literature passages, student X will read closely to determine what the text says explicitly and make logical inferences from it citing specific textual evidence with 85 % accuracy as measured by teacher observation records, formal and informal reading assessments, and progress monitoring. (CCSS: ELA 4 RL. 1.4 RL1.)
Progress:
(blank)
Objective(s) required? ☐ Yes ☒ No
By date, given service, child’s name will skill as measured by evidence.
Measurable Goal (MUSER IX.3.A.(1)(b)(c))
By June 10, 2017, given small group instruction and the use of graphic organizers, rubrics and other tools, X will be able to produce a piece of writing that is clear and coherent in which the development, organization and style are appropriate to task purpose and audience in 4 of 5 opportunities presented as measured by completion of informal writing assignments, teacher observation records, student work samples, and progress monitoring. (CCSS: ELA 4.W.4)
Progress:
(blank)
Objective(s) required? ☐ Yes ☒ No
By date, given service, child’s name will skill as measured by evidence.
B. Functional/Developmental Performance –
Functional/developmental performance refers to how the child is managing daily activities in cognitive, communicative, motor, adaptive, social/emotional and sensory areas.
Strengths:
Student X is an extremely inquisitive young man. He likes to explore, especially when he can explore outside searching for frogs and other small creatures! Student X has lots of knowledge to share and will provide information when he is in a relaxed state and feels he trusts those around him.
Needs:
Difficulty attending to or accurately interpreting social/cues poor perception of social nuances
Difficulty starting conversations, entering and participating in groups, connecting with people, and practicing basic social skills
Difficulty expressing concerns, needs, or thoughts in words.
Present Levels of Functional/Developmental Performance (MUSER IX.3.A.(1)(a)(i)&(ii)):
During language arts Student X has difficulty closing his computer when prompted. He doesn’t respond to questions when he is called on in front of the group. Daily, Student X has difficulty returning to class after lunch. While waiting for the bus, X has difficulty with personal space and boundaries. X has difficulty independently completing his math and language arts homework assignments daily.
Student X exhibits challenging behaviors in the regular education setting 75% of the day
Once frustrated X’s behaviors quickly escalate and he either runs out of the classroom or, on occasion, must be removed. His outbursts may be affecting his peer relations, as his classmates have expressed a reluctance to interact with him. He has been increasingly reluctant to participate in working with the resource room teacher.
Speech/Language:
Student X presents with weaknesses in expressive language skills, which impact his ability to participate in classroom discussions and work collaboratively with peers. His difficulty sequencing his thoughts impacts his ability to express his knowledge effectively when compared with same-aged peers.
How the child’s disability affects the child’s involvement and progress in the general education curriculum.
Student X’s lagging skills and unsolved problems negatively impact his ability to participate in the general education curriculum. Additionally, X is resistant to participating in any classroom activities involving reading and writing, is having difficulty accessing the general education curriculum in those realms, and has been increasingly reluctant to attend school.
Measurable Goal (MUSER IX.3.A.(1)(b)(c))
By May 10,2018, given Direct Specialized Instruction, and the opportunity to participate in problem solving discussions Student X will state a concern identifying the who, what, where or when, and describe the problem to the collaborating adult 80% of the time as measured by evidence tracked on the Problem Solving Plan tracking sheet.
Progress:
(blank)
Objective(s) required? ☐ Yes ☒ No
By date, given service, child’s name will skill as measured by evidence.
Measurable Goal (MUSER IX.3.A.(1)(b)(c))
By May 10, 2018, given Direct Specialized instruction, and the opportunity to participate in problem solving discussions Student X will demonstrate using verbal capacity to communicate about the factors that are making it difficult for him to reliably participate in classroom activities involving reading, writing, and verbal and take 80% of the time as measured by the agreed upon solution and Problem Solving Plan.
Progress:
(blank)
Objective(s) required? ☐ Yes ☒ No
By date, given service, child’s name will skill as measured by evidence.
What do I look for in the IEP to know if it is good?
So the big focus of this entire website is on how to write strong goals– that means that if you want a detailed answer to this question, click on the goals tab! But the short answer is that you want to see goals that make sense. You know your student or child. What are their biggest areas of need? IEP goals don’t cover everything– but whatever you think are the most pressing issues need to be in the goals. You also should see language that makes sense. You need to be able to read these and immediately know what the student needs to do and what they can do now. The goals drive special education supports so if they don’t make sense, it is likely the services your student/child receives won’t either.
When and how should I get help?
It depends on who you are. If you are a parent, you have the right to show the IEP to anyone you want to get their thoughts on it– and the right to bring someone who has “knowledge or special expertise regarding the child” to the IEP meeting. To learn more about parents’ rights in IEP, visit our page on the rights hidden inside district procedural safeguards.
If you are a teacher at the school and are worried about the quality of the IEP goals, feel out the case manager. If you hit resistance, try meeting with a service provider at the school an administrator, or a special education teacher that you are more comfortable with– but try the case manager first to get a sense of what is going on.
Here is what IDEA says in 34 C.F.R. § 300.321(a)(6) about bringing people to meetings:
‘‘(vi) at the discretion of the parent or the agency,
other individuals who have knowledge or special expertise regarding the child, including related services personnel as appropriate; and
other individuals who have knowledge or special expertise regarding the child, including related services personnel as appropriate; and
What are the disclaimers?
This website is not a lawyer or an educational advocate. Nothing on this site is, nor is intended to be, legal advice. The information here is for informational purposes only.
If you are worried about your student or child’s IEP, please reach out to a real, live human.
Many law schools have free educational law clinics for special education. Many larger districts employ ombudsmen to bridge the gap between parents and schools. Many regions and states have parent centers that can help parents connect to other parents and find resources in their community. All of those are free, as is talking through the paperwork with a friend. Educational advocates are often paid professionals with special expertise who can also help. While we are happy to address general questions about the IDEA law or IEP process, please note that any communication via email is for informational purposes only and cannot be treated as legal advice. You can email questions to rose@spedhelper.org.
